Weekend: loose ends and lists

 Last Saturday I bounded out of bed at 5 a.m. to be able to leave home by 5:20, get gas, then head out to pick grapes at my favorite winery, only to discover, after I had driven allthewaythere that it was the next weekend.  Oooops.  I'm on call Saturday, so that's a no-go.  Since I had planned to visit Highlands tomorrow and gather big trash for bulky pick-up, I just went ahead and took care of it.

Driving up to the barn now feels eerie.  I think I have made the right decision in my mind - its time to sell.  But meanwhile, I will need to clear out the storage container, barn, and pumphouse.  I made a list of the things I will need to get working on, including calling the realtor.

I put as much stuff in the truck bed as I could fit.  I will set it out on the curb at Rustown tomorrow.  By Sunday, a bunch of it will be gone, as the scrap metal and junk dealers will make their rounds.  I still have a few things at home that can go out as well.  I was only at Highlands for an hour or so, then I headed out.

I stopped off in Bertram to watch the Oatmeal Festival parade and visit some vendors to buy a few stocking stuffers and gifts, including a cactus for me!  Everyone I chatted with was so friendly.

And I ate possibly the best hand-dipped corndog and freshly popped kettle corn ever.  Then I stopped by 7 Creeks to say hello, intending to stick around to hear Spicy Loops play.  But the grey skies were doing a number on my psyche, so I enjoyed my free glass of wine, said hello to him, then headed home.

Another thing that doesn't feel right: being the first one to arrive to anything, alone.

I showered at home, got some things done around the house, then treated myself to a burger with truffle fries and a "Death by Coconut" draft at Oskar Blues for dinner.  Worth it.  

On Sunday I did more putseying around the house, including a deep clean and organizing of my office/craft room.  I took the Cricut to the garage, started a project in the backyard, then took a shower and put my feet up to read. And for sure, I need to come up with a strategy to make weekends more relaxing!

Gina

5 thing Friday - faucet, groceries, sap, sunrise, harvest, hair

I just realized I never posted about the whole faucet fix.

What a pain in the rear.

 

When last we saw my backyard faucet, it had been wrenched up to a sideways position by my BIL who thought he could replace the whole thing. I did try to stop him a couple of times.  Since he couldn't see the pipe leading into the house, he couldn't brace it.  And after he realized that, he left it sideways and left.  

I did what I should have done to begin with - mention it to no one else and call a plumber.  I called someone Mark had used before, and within an hour or so he had replaced the whole thing, losing only a small section of brick.

Which I then taped off and filled with expanding/paintable foam.

Then I removed the tape and trimmed the foam flush to the wall.

Since it was a strange shape and bright white, I taped it again into a rectangle and painted it with leftover front door paint.  No more leaking, no more cock-eyed faucet, no more hole.

Sunrise at Highlands, ca. 2019

There are many things I miss about my life as it once was, and it feels like I am still in this shifting season of change that has no end date.  I am trying to hang in there, but believe me when I say that its hard to do. Remember, my 2021 word of the year "thrive"?  I so wanted not to just "survive".  

My Chinese Pistache is weeping all over the deck.  The resin smells so pretty but is such a sticky nuisance. I worry about my trees in general so I am watering twice a week now.  I'm sure this is heat related and the tree is stressed.  Side note:  will seal the deck this fall after I powerwash the sap off.

Sunrise in the vineyard at Perissos, August 2022 

For some reason I always feel at peace out here.  Its hot, and I get covered with dirt and sticky grape juice and sweat.  But I feel peaceful and removed from my current stress and trouble.

We picked 8 tons of fruit.

Last week it was Petit Syrah.  This weekend its Malbec.

A light lunch and glass of wine always follows.  And this time we got an extra taste of the 2011 Petit Syrah which was so good. 

I gave in to the summer temps and falling hair and had another 2 inches of hair trimmed off.  The stylist looked to be cutting a few strands at a time - so pitiful.  But once its washed and dried on low heat it looks halfway decent and its very comfy.  Still continuing with my routine for helping it recover.

Like Mark used to say: its a great life, if you don't weaken.

Gina

5 thing Friday - casseroles, orchids, Round Rock, anniversaries, Mark

 Note to self:

If you're craving a comfort casserole, just remember...you can make it, but you better halve the recipe or you will be eating it for far longer than you'd like to! That being said, I did so enjoy this mini version of Tater Tot Casserole made in my small cast iron skillet.

The Girl bought me an orchid under the incorrect assumption that I will not manage to kill it as I have the last two orchids I bought.  She can hope, but my track record is not good.  I do love the special pot she bought and she DID include spray orchid food and she DID pot it with special orchid dirt.

I met my sister for a beer last Sunday in beautiful old town Round Rock.

I don't know why we had never tried this place - it was quite nice.

The tiny old town area is all big sidewalks and antique buildings and it was maybe 10 minutes from my house down a couple of side roads I never use, thanks to the Google Lady.

There were art installations everywhere.  A pizza place I love, a cute coffee shop, several restaurants.  I will definitely go back and bop around by myself sometime soon.  Its where I left these.

Yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the opening of the hospital I work at.  Its kind of hard to believe its been 15 years - so much has happened in my life since then.  I started a blog.  I got all my kids out of high school, one out of college.  Bought some property, 2 RV's.  Finally stopped working weekends (after a total of 17 years) and had some major life changes.

Something other than a cookie might have been nice to get, but working in a hospital is like being in a strange land now, and most of us didn't have time to stop to reflect today, anyway.  We are too busy, too short staffed, and starting to get burned out.

Today marks the first day of a month last year that seems like it was yesterday.  We hadn't yet begun to really enjoy our summer together and were looking forward to the next weekend when we could finally relax, with no projects or pressing chores, just the two of us.  My wine buddy and love of my life.  We just ran out of time.  He literally signed off his computer at 4:30, made a glass of iced coffee, packed his weekend bag, and went to mow the yards.  The rest is a sad story.  I'm hoping I can focus on the future more when July is over.  The one year anniversary feels huge to me and I'm just going to take this month one day at a time and get through it as best I can.

Gina

5 thing Friday - crystals, Friday, cute shoes, enchiladas, security

I ordered a couple of these big crystals from Amazon: 

I hung them with extra strong fishing line - one in my room and one in the kitchen.  Unfortunately, the one in my room doesn't catch enough sunlight what with all of the trees.  But I still love to gaze at it, and as the earth moves and the seasons change, I may well get some rainbows.

A metaphor for my life right now.

My turn to host Happy Hour Friday tonight and maybe I can convince Teddy to hop into my lap.  We are having burgers and tots with a bottle of wine.  I am so looking forward to the weekend.  Its been a brutal week.

Please enjoy this selfie of me asking The Girl what she thinks of these shoes.

I've had them a couple of years and have worn them once or twice.  I need to get some sundresses for the cute wedge sandals I own and WEAR THEM while I can.  It may as well be summer here - its in the low 90's - I want to dress fun.

I made Walnut Enchiladas last night and serve them with a nice salad with avocado.  They were so good!  Next time I will grind the walnuts a little more so they aren't as noticeable.  I subbed green enchilada sauce for the red, and monterrey jack for the cheddar.  I never even noticed the missing beef or chicken.

This month's Big Project was getting the alarm system up and running.  Mark and I never had anyone come out and check it or update it or cypher out why it was randomly sending out warning beeps.  It hasn't been monitored for years, tho we were faithfully paying the alarm permit. He unplugged it and intended to try to figure that out, and the rest is history.  It was pricey to update a 26 year old system and this keypad is obnoxious at night (I have a plan for that), but its one more thing crossed off the list and gives me a little more peace of mind.

Happy Weekend,

Gina

To wine or not to wine?

 I know I have mentioned this before, but wine club pick-ups don't have the same feel that they did in the past.

Last weekend I took two of my peeps to one of my favorite wineries.

It was a beautiful day - the sun was out, the music was great, the wine wonderful as always, the burgers tasty.  What's not to love?  My sister and BIL joined us a bit late, and we didn't stay long after we finished our bottle.

We really enjoyed the tasting among the vines.  The teeny tiny grape flowers smell amazing!

A couple of silly selfies were taken.  We had such a great spot under the trees outside of the tank room.

And enjoyed petting the winery cat.

But everything about it feels like the shine is off.  Mark would have loved everything about this pick-up party and I'm sure we would have stayed longer, even though the day was quite warm.  I can imagine us leaving mid-afternoon and heading back to Highlands to sit in our lounge chairs a while, build a firepit, and make dinner on the camp stove before watching the sun go down.  And I feel a little sad when I think that it will never be that way again.  

So what do I do?  Keep the wine clubs and just accept the different vibes or move on and find something else to do?

Gina

Five thing Friday - ramen, china, pictures, outfits, wineries

It hasn't been a terrible week, just not stellar.  Same things causing the same stress.  I'm ready for spring.

I know ramen noodles aren't particularly healthy, what with all the salt and carbs.  But if you use only a small portion of the seasoning packet and add in your own fresh veg and chunk of meat, it can be quite the comforting bowl of lunch.

The bonus is you can use up bit of leftovers at the end of the week and make it different each time.

I hadn't looked at this china in so long.

It was living in a cabinet above the fridge.  So pretty, so impractical for my life.

It has coordinating pink crystal goblets and martini glasses.

When I moved the tea service out of this cabinet, I made it the china and crystal storage. China and crystal don't thrill me like they did Hubby's mom. And some day I know I will let it go.

Slowly I am making my home reflect more of what is important to me.  I am moving a few pictures around, setting things out that having meaning to me, or putting things away if doing so helps me realize that things are so different here.

Do I need family pictures in every room?  Maybe not.

Although I am no clotheshorse, putting outfits together is easier when you have a big closet with room to store and see what you have.  I keep running across stuff I haven't worn in so long, including these cute sandals.  Its nice to dress cute now and again.

The Girl went with me to pick up my wines on Saturday and it was a different experience.  I need to think about what my interests and weekend activities will look like going forward.  Winery visits just aren't the same without Hubby.

It was our thing, you know?

Gina

Weekend re-cap: focus on home

Last weekend I didn't go anywhere but out for coffee with Scout on Sunday.

I had a list of things to do, such as powerwashing and cleaning the red rocks, but instead I just spent some time out there with my wine and enjoyed the little firepit, relaxing.

I'm so ready to move that BBQ grill and get those trees worked on.  You can see the ribbons that the tree company have marked them with - red means that tree is going.  

I completely emptied that storage unit that was under the patio overhang.  The steel shelf unit and all of the BBQ equipment got moved into the garage.  This is a nice open space now.  It makes the patio look bigger.

I also finished the chunky blanket that The Girl and I were working on.  Its not perfect, but it is soft and cozy and this will be a sweet spot to curl up with a book this winter. The Christmas tree will be directly across the room, near the windows.

While I was at it, I took down old family portraits on this white shelf in the front room and I put some fall foliage in an old brass planter that I rescued from the guest room.  I gave it a quick cleaning first, but I didn't work too hard at it - I kind of like that it looks antique.

I really love my home and plan to spend more time nesting over the coming months.  That's something I wasn't getting to do much, with Highlands being the focus on most weekends.

But for now, I can cozy the space up and try to relax a little.

Gina